YouVersion Reading Plans

Here at Southland, we relentlessly puruse a transforming relationship with God. So we've challenged 100% of Jesus followers at Southland to read their Bible daily. A great way to do that is by using YouVersion. YouVersion is both an app and a website that makes scripture easy to navigate and utilizes tools such as reading plans, note taking, linked resources, and multiple translations that will help you become a better student of God’s word.

We have a lot of staff members that use it each day. Here's a few of our favorite reading plans that maybe you could benifit from as you pursue God this summer:

One of my favorite reading plans that I just finished is the Generosity plan. It's a 30 day plan that takes you through the entire Bible. It highlights some key passages dealing with God's generosity toward us. It's very encouraging to be able to walk through the bible and see it through a different lens.

I use the daily verse to hang onto something throughout the day. I find that if I keep one specific scripture with me the whole day, God will use it multiple times to encourage me or bring me peace when something inevitably happens.

I've been doing the One Year Bible in NLT since November of last year. The reading takes only about 15 minutes to move through in itself. It takes a balance of daily reading through the OT, NT a portion of Psalms and a verse or 2 from Proverbs each day. It's excellent.

One thing I love about YouVersion is if you miss a day, you can select the option to "Catch Me Up." I never feel the pressure if I miss a day for some reason to then be doubled up the next day. This keeps it manageable and you can never really fall behind. I also like the interaction with social media. I find it's encouraging to post tweets with certain verses from a day's study. YouVersion has increased my personal time in the Word as well as the times during the day when I will study.

I love reading the daily verses. Sometimes they go right along what I am studying or with something going on in my life. Also, I like to use the devotionals when I am between studies. It is one of my most used apps!

I haven't really used the reading plans on the app, but I use it to read with my current reading plan. I love that you can have a Bible with you anytime in your pocket. Some people don't know this, but you can download different translations in their entirety to the app and you can use it even when you don't have an internet connection. I recently took a mission trip to Haiti and it was awesome being able to have a Bible with me even though I didn't have the phone connected to a network.

I like The Gospels in 30 Days. It's a great way to spend a month. I try to do this plan a couple times a year. The best way to center my identity on Jesus is to read these four books as often as possible.

My favorite reading plans have been the Lent for Everyone plan during Easter season and Relationships. I like the variety of passages in each plan, pulling from both Old and New Testament which gives a broader view of the context of Scripture and how it all relates to day-to-day living.

I've been using YouVersion for a couple of years now. Recently, I invited the guys in my Life Group to join me in using it as a way to connect around scripture. A couple of the guys are new to reading the Bible. We started by choosing one of the topical reading plans: Debt: A Biblical Exploration. A lot of people are uncertain as to where to start reading in the Bible. The daily reading plan moved us through the passages around a central topic and helped us establish a rhythm of reading. The guys will often share with the group a key verse which stands out to them. One of the guys said that YouVersion has done for his spiritual life what the gym has done for his physical life.

I love partial Bible reading plans. I choose a book of the bible and read through it. I base which book I choose based on what portion of scripture God wants me to focus on. I usually do it at my own pace but the app helps me stay on track daily. Right now I'm in Proverbs and Mark.

I really enjoy Hearing From God Each Morning. This is a great resource for people who want to hear from God. It's an opportunity to look at one verse and a devotional thought. I also really like God's Pleasure in Creation. I went through this plan on vacation. It's allowed me to use my time away as an opportunity to understand God's pleasure in Creation.